It was sad but not as terrible as I imagined it would be

Today at the grocery store I have been going to for over 8 years, talking with the cashier I have seen almost every single week, I came out.

This is the cashier who 'treats' me to my children's birthday cakes, who asks me about my day, who gives me a hug after every visit, who always remembers to give credit for my cloth bags.  She saw me through three pregnancies and three new babies. I have felt over our many years that we have indeed formed a friendship. If I ever saw her in public, I would not hesitate to chat with her and I feel she would do the very same for me.

Today I came into her line as I do every Friday. She asked me about my week. I told her I was tired, gave her the 411 and then asked about hers.

Right away she told me about the joy she was feeling for our new president. I smiled and continued to unpack my cart. It's her right to be joyful and happy!

She went on and described how wonderful it was having people come through that went to DC to watch the Inauguration. And how magical the whole thing was. Again, this is great. I am happy she got to meet them.

And then she added about how it was America again. I stopped unloading the groceries as I felt a chill.

I have always loved our country. I have always been proud of our country. Even during Carter and Clinton, I felt blessed to be an American. My own family fought under George Washington, my husband is a marine. We are a nation of value, strength and freedom. More Americans died in the Civil War than in all other wars combined. A war that ended slavery--a practice still going on today in many countries, especially in Africa. We were and are a great land.

I looked at the cashier and decided to say one thing.

"It was wonderful. I just did not think booing President Bush was appropriate at all."

She stopped what she doing and looked at me with shock. I felt sick to my stomach. I never really speak my mind on these items. I wondered what she was thinking.

I grabbed some more food and added that the behavior of the crowds just really upset me. How can they say "we are one" when they are so horribly disrespectful to a president that has kept then safe after 9/11.

She spoke. "He had a 22% approval rating."

"And congress has a 19% and they are still there." I was stepping far out of my comfort zone.

"Well I saw a republican on TV and he didn't like Bush."

"I'm not saying you have to like him. Booing him is disrespecting, the man, his work and the office."

Stone silence. It felt colder than December in Alaska and she no longer looked at me as she bagged the groceries.

I smiled and switched the conversation, trying to break the ice. Slowly she began to speak to me again but it felt different--guarded and short.

I sighed as I watched her pack up the groceries. I hoped I did not lose a friend. This is one of the reasons I don't come out. This is why I avoided blogging my views during and after the election. I did not want to offend anyone. I was worried people would not comment or come back. I would be labeled as one of those "stupid Republicans that just don't get it". 

Thinking those thoughts, I would think of how silly I was being. I go to liberal blogs. I like liberal bloggers. I don't view them differently and I do not think less of them because they do not share my ideology. The bald eagle needs both the right and left wing to fly. This is not to say I agree with them. And if I really do not agree, I usually do not comment and wait on the next post. I don't feel comfortable going to a blog, a virtual house, and slamming the post in the comments. That's just not cool.

So today, I am coming out once again to you. My name is Lisa. I am a strong conservative. I voted for GW Bush twice and last fall I voted for Sarah Palin (that is not a typo, I was not going to vote for McCain before Palin, I was going to write-in 'Ghost of Reagan') and I am praying I will get to vote for Palin in 2012.  I am pro-life, pro-gun and pro--Gitmo. I am also that very busy mom of 4 who is dealing with a baby who won't stop nursing, a boy being labeled, a daughter who loves ballet and an oldest child who hates math. 

Don't worry. This will not be a political blog. If I ever get that urge, I would start a different one. Twitter and other groups are enough for me.  

Oh and my cashier today did not give me any item as a treat, come around to give me a good-bye hug nor credit my cloth bags (the first time ever). It could have been worse.